Pause In Time
by Soul Of The Dark Mark
Summary: A one-shot where Hermione thinks of all the reasons she fell for Ron. Rated T to be safe.


**A one-shot. I was just randomly watching the Harry Potter movies and think of ideas for my fanfiction, Confusing Actions, and I thought I mind as well right a Ron and Hermione one-shot. I loooove how it turned out, so review and stuff.**

**XOXOXO**

**Kristina**

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The taste of blood dripped over my mouth's senses from where I had been biting my lips as Ron and I ran in the dark corridors of The Ministry of Magic, green wisps of magic flying past our heads, my energy was wavering as we collided with Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Harry.

A gasp erupted from my mouth, and I slipped, my feet trying to collapse to the ground. I felt a warm hand slip around my waist as I did, catching my fall. It propelled my upward and I looked up at the person as he stood me up, keeping me stable.

It was Ron.

It was always Ron. It had been since third year. Ron was the one to always catch me, hold me in my time of need, and let me hold him in his. I don't know why it had happened this way. The hero was supposed to get the girl, not the sidekick. But for some reason the sidekick had charmed me, rather than the hero.

Ron gave me a small smile as I stood on my feet once again, and I watched his hands shake one more time before he ran them through his hair. I tried to return, but failed miserably. I only could turn my head back and watch as Ginny shouted a spell, and launched thousands upon thousands of prophecies. I could only stare in awe as orb after orb exploded in midair or fell, releasing a white, blinding magic that seemed to fill me. I turned, smiling, as I stared at Ron for the first time in a long time. I mean, I really looked at him.

And I remembered. I remembered why my heart had chosen the sidekick. I loved him. I loved how his jaw sat on his face, how hard it was. I loved how his brows would shift into various positions depending on what was going on around him. I loved the way his eyes glowed in different ways. How they would illuminate in his times of joy, like they had only earlier this year. When I had made him. I smiled at the memory, continuing to stare at his eyes, before we were running again. And I saw the fear and determination in his eyes as well. And all I could think of was the pit of regret I would forever have in my stomach if he died tonight, died not knowing that I loved him. At least, if the feeling he gave me every time I saw him was love.

It was always there when he walked into a room, or even when I heard his voice behind a door. It was that simple, My heart would race in earnest as my checks would turn a rosy pink. I would run a nervous hand through my unmanageable hair, and hope that my eyes gave him the same glimmer of hope his eyes always gave me. I would bite my lips, itching for them to collide with his. Itching to taste the feeling of our lips together in a kiss.

I pulled myself out of my romance novel fantasies to remember we were running, or trying to. We had been running for the past four years; Harry, Ron, and I. But we had to accelerate our speed ever since Voldemort had rose back to power. So, we continued running, running from the darkness of the world. We ran, Harry leading all of us towards a black door. I paused for a moment, and turned to watch the light of the orbs in the room shatter, as if they were the lights of the wizarding world going out. I really hope this was not foreshadowing anything tonight. Because if anybody was lost, let alone one of us, the world was lost. We could not go on without one another. At least, I couldn't. I couldn't go one if I was missing one of my boys, my best friends; whether it was Harry or Ron.

Not only did I hope that the destroyed lights symbolized anything tonight, but also that as we turned and ran through the black door, free falling in a dizzying circle. I attempted to look down to see where we would land, but I couldn't. But before it had truly begun, it was over. We fell, crashing down and I got only a dark sense of foreboding as I felt the cool concrete underneath me. Yet, those thoughts flitted away as I realized that Ron had landed with his arm around me.

I looked up at him for a moment, and there it was. All he had to do was look into my eyes, and there it was. The flushing of my cheeks, the illumination in my eyes, the shivers that would move my lips in small, earnest vibrations as they waited desperately for our lips to meet. Too bad we were in a battle for our lives, which is probably made me say,

"Ron, please remove your arm from my waist."

I saw his face become red underneath his ginger hair for a moment, and his eyes fill with uneasy embarrassment. I almost burst out laughing. Ron looked like a tomato.

"I was just taking care of you." he whispered, his ears now becoming red as well.

I felt my face get even pinker, if possible. But, of course, now was not the time. There never seemed to be a good time. Which always led to my fiery, independent self to come out and scorch, showing I needed no help. That I had no weaknesses so that Voldemort could not detect me, how truly vulnerable I was.

"I don't need taking care of, Ronald." I replied, giving him a small smile as I picked myself up.

"Every girl needs to be taken care of." he replied, matter-of-factly.

"Pampered, not baby-sat." I answered, my tone wavering away from teasing.

"What's the difference?"

"There's a _huge_ difference, Ronald."

"Stop calling me Ronald. You're not my mother."

"Don't be ridiculous, _Ronald_. I can call you your name if I'd like to."

Ron only gave me a furious glare as I smirked, but this small, perpetual bliss was shattered by the shouts of Harry;

"Get behind me!"

I ran, all fear left behind me in the shadows of my footsteps as I ran to join our world's savior. Ron stood beside me, our wands raised in a fierce stance, awaiting.

I breathed in and out, until I felt and saw dark figures fly, fall down upon us. They were like spiders preying after the innocent flies of the world, us. Their web cascaded around us, capturing us. I felt my mouth open to scream, but couldn't. My mouth was dry with fear, it had refilled me the moment the sheets of black had covered my eyes. My mouth was dry and I felt the tugging sensation on my hair, pulling away at the roots of me, the roots keeping me sane. My captor was ripping out the roots of me, my friends and I. Destroying us piece by piece. Until, at last, we landed, but I wasn't free. It was at that moment, as I stood watching Harry stand before us, pain etched across his usually strong face, that I realized we would never be free.  
And I felt a hole swell in my heart, ripping open as I stared at our army, Dumbledore's Army.

Luna Lovegood.

Neville Longbottom.

Ginny Weasley.

Ron Weasley.

Harry Potter.

And me, Hermione Granger.

How had this happened? How had in the course of only one year we grew to this? To think we were great enough to take on Voldemort by ourselves, or let alone his minions?

I tried to pull away from the Death Eater who was holding me, but I only let out a little squeal as he held on, ripping more particles of my hair out. But I didn't feel it. I couldn't feel it. I couldn't fell anything but the nagging monster eating away at my heart, telling me of what I had feared from the start. Tonight was the night. The night we would all slip away, broken and battered, and without Ron knowing that I loved him. That I had loved him since I had grown to know him. Sure, he could be a major pain, but aren't we all?

I looked to see Ron struggling as well, his eyes darting around the room, until they made contact with mine. His eyes glowed for a moment, a moment I'd like to say was adoration, before his eyes darkened, and I knew the light was gone. His hope was gone in that moment, as was mine. For as I watched the light die in his eyes, the hope died within my soul, and as the reality of this thought fully hit me, I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

But as my hope died, the flame of it grew again as I watched the members of the Order, white lights flying around them like the wings of angels. And tears of joy flew down my face as I realized that we would be okay. The Order would be okay. The Golden Trio would be okay. Harry would be okay. And Ron and I would be okay.

I was pushed quickly behind a rocky wall to watch as Death Eater and Order Member battled it out. I lurched up and down, sliding back and forth across the hard, textured surface. That is, until I felt a strong grip come over my wrist, twisting me towards a face I had etched in my memory for the past four and-a-half years.

"Stay down 'Mione."

"But I need to watch." I hissed, lying through my teeth. Because all I was watching was the flickering and ever various colors of his eyes, and my mind was only racing with the thoughts that Ron's hand was gripping my wrist.

"No, 'Mione. You want to watch; you don't need to."

I only rolled my eyes at him as he whispered,

"Just stay down. I'm protecting.., excuse me, _pampering_ you."

I could only stare at him in utter adoration for a moment, and watch him smile at me. And as danger flew just over us, I felt as if I was covered by a bubble as Ron and I seemed to stay suspended in each other's presence. And I remembered why I had chosen the sidekick.

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**Awwww...well ttfn!**

**XOXOXOXO**

**Kristina**


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